Simple
by Grey Like Stormy Skies
Summary: “I don’t understand you, Lily.” “You just overthink things, Remus. You overthink things all of the time, and you make things so complicated when all they want to be is simple.” [RemusLily friendship oneshot]


**_Simple_**

"I don't understand you, Lily." They were sitting by the lake, and as he watched her she just ran her fingers through the grass.

"I can't see why not, I'm a rather simple person," she said, taking a blade of grass between two fingers and blowing on it. No noise came out.

"But you aren't, not at all," he said fervently, and she shook her head.

"But I am, you just over-think things, Remus," she said, throwing down her blade of grass and picking up another. "You over-think things all of the time, and you make things so _complicated_ when all they want to be is simple."

"_Things_ want to be simple?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine, people then," she said, rolling her eyes. "I do, for one."

"Lily, I don't think you'll ever be simple."

"Is there something you're getting at? We're nearly grownups now Remus, you can say whatever it is."

"Why are you with James?"

"Mmm. I figured it might be that," she said, leaning back on her elbows.

"And?"

"And he's very sweet to me. He treats me like I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him, and it feels nice," she said, leaning her head back so that her red hair could be blown about by the wind. "I admire him."

"Admire him?" he asked, skeptical.

"Yes, admire him. I didn't at first, of course—but you knew that. I used to think he was incorrigible, but now I admire him. He's sweet and kind and very loyal."

"So am I," he muttered softly, and she pulled her head forward to look at him.

"Yes, you are," she said, very matter-of-fact. "But you are afraid to let people in. James, James asked me in."

"Ah. So I suppose that's it, then?"

"What's it?" she asked curiously, sitting up and tilting her head to the left. "Nothing's permanent Remus, he's just a boy that I'm in like with," she said simply. A small grin came to his face.

"In like?"

"Well, of course I'm not in _love_ with him," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's much too soon, and we have decided to take things very slow—I even told him it'd have to be a _snail's_ pace, but he didn't seem to have a problem with that," she whispered loudly to him, and he laughed out loud. "But I do know that I like him very much and he makes me laugh, so I've decided I'm in like."

"You do try so hard to make everything simple, don't you," he said, shaking his head and grinning.

"It's easier when you don't go over-thinking things," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "That doesn't lead you anywhere good, let me tell you."

"Is everything so simple to you?" he asked wistfully, as though he longed for her view on the world.

"I should think so, though I don't think I've thought of nearly _everything _yet," she said, her eyebrows creasing into a thoughtful position. "I'm only just eighteen, after all."

"Yes, I know," he said. "What about me, then?"

"What about you?" she asked, her fingers searching in the grass for a blade of grass that would bring her more success than the last.

"What am I to you?" he asked gently. "What are _we_ to you?"

"Hmm." She stopped running her fingers through the grass for a moment. "You, Remus Lupin, are the sweetest person I have ever met, and I'll love you forever because you're my best friend and I won't be able to ever stop," she said, and he blinked once before laughing softly.

"Forever is a very long time Lily, and now you've got James."

"So?" she asked, and the thought crossed his mind that she truly didn't see a problem. "It doesn't matter who else is in my life, you'll always be my Remus and I'll always love you."

"Thank you."

"Don't be silly Remus, you can't thank me just for telling the truth," she said, and he cocked an eyebrow.

"You're quite demanding, you know."

"Am I? Yes, I s'pose you're right. I know James would agree with you in a moment if he were here, he's always going on about how I like things just _so_."

"He's right."

"Hmm. I'spose," she said again, and he laughed.

"You're doing quite a bit of supposing today, aren't you."

"Well, it's better than not thinking anything at all, isn't it? I'm sure that I'd rather have at least theories on the world than nothing at all."

"And do you have theories?"

"We'll save those for another time," she said, going back to her inspection of the grass. "Do you want to go inside for dinner?"

"Well, it is getting dark. We probably should," he said, looking over to where the sun had set.

"That's not what I asked," she said, plucking another blade of grass and slipping it between her thumbs. "I asked whether you _wanted _to go in."

"Won't James be angry that we've spent all afternoon together?"

"Remus, darling. I've already made it perfectly clear to him that you're my best friend. He won't be angry if he knows what's good for him," she said, looking uncharacteristically grim.

"You said that?" he asked, both eye brows raised.

"Well it's the truth, why wouldn't I?" she asked, and he envied her simple outlook once again.

"Thank you."

"Don't be silly Remus, you can't thank me just for telling the truth," she said again, though this time they were both smiling. She let out a long breath against the blade of grass one final time, and a loud whistling was emitted. "Aha! I knew it would work eventually."

"Did you?" he asked, still smiling.

"Well, not _completely_. But I had a feeling."

"Do you have any other feelings at the moment?" he asked, and she leaned her head against her left shoulder in thought.

"I have a feeling that the reason you avoided my question was that you don't really want to go in yet either," she said, and grinned.

"Want to go for a walk around the lake?" he asked, standing up and brushing off his robes.

"I'd love to."

* * *

A/N: I know it's mostly dialogue, but I like it better this way—it gives you all more of an opportunity to make up the rest of the scene in your head.

Please let me know your thoughts on this; I'm wondering whether I should do more of this type (for some reason I really enjoyed writing Lily in this).


End file.
